The application requirements for the Ohio State Master of Human Resource Management program are straightforward and are posted here. You do not need to be an HR major to successfully apply to this program – in fact, the program is desired for any major(s). (The most common major we tend to see in the program is psychology.)

When I ask someone why s/he is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Human Resource Management, a common response is, “Because I like to work with people.” That response may very well be truthful – but the problem with the response is it does not answer the question or – more likely – it is an indication that the person does not know what human resource professionals do.

If you think about it, the vast majority of professions in a wide variety of contexts require that you “work with people.” Below is a tiny sample of professions that involve “working with people:”

Teacher

Grocery store clerk

Program manager

Auto mechanic

Janitor

Waiter/waitress

Doctor

Lawyer

Financial analyst

Camp counselor

Tax accountant

Sales person

Actor/actress

All of these professions require those people to “work with people.”

“Working with people” is not exclusive to HR professionals

Do you see why “I like to work with people” is, by itself, a very poor response to the question, “Why are you interested in pursuing a degree in human resource management?” A better response to that question ties back to what is it that human resource professionals do and connect that to your strengths and interests. Human resource management is a very broad field that includes but is not limited to training and development, retention, staffing, compensation, organizational effectiveness, etc. Research what it is that human resource professionals do. See if you can talk to someone in the field about what s/he does.

Doing this background prep work on your part will help you write a much better essay for your application and give you much more confidence that this is the right decision for your academic and professional career!

Part of your discovery process may also include speaking with currently enrolled students in the programs you are researching. Ruth Durig is a first year MHRM student who helps the Fisher Graduate Programs Office as a MHRM student ambassador. In this role, she assists the recruiting and admissions office with inquiries from prospective MHRM students. (You may also recognize her as a current MHRM student blogger.) Talking to someone who is doing now what you are thinking of doing in the future is a great opportunity – be sure to take advantage of it!

Please click here for more information on how to get in touch with Ruth. She (along with all of us) looks forward to hearing from you!

Websites and brochures are some of the ways you can get information about graduate programs you’re considering. An additional source of information – and possibly one of the better sources – is getting a first person perspective of the program from someone who is in it.

I’m proud to introduce the 2014-15 Fisher MHRM student bloggers. We have four volunteers this year who will write about their experiences in the Fisher MHRM program. If you want to get a much better idea of what being in the program is really like, please be sure to check back for new posts or create an RSS feed so you don’t miss anything!

Whether you take the GRE or GMAT, give yourself enough time to prepare adequately.

For students applying to the Fisher Master of Human Resource Management (“MHRM“) program, a common question is “When should I take the GRE or GMAT?” There are two things you need to be aware of to get the correct answer.

1) What deadline are you shooting for? In other words, by which date do you want to have your application be complete?

It takes at least three weeks for us to get your official scores from the test administrator. Using this info, you work backward – for example, if you want to have a complete application by December 31, you want to take the GMAT or GRE by December 7 (approximately 3 weeks prior to December 31). However …

2) Do you want to build in any “error correction” time for yourself if you do no get the score you like on your first attempt?

The advice in point #1 above is true but only if you plan to take the GMAT or GRE once. The Fisher MHRM program will use your highest total GMAT/GRE scores as part of its application review process. If you want to allow for “error correction” – in other words, you want to allow yourself the option of retaking it a second time to attempt to get a higher score, you need to add (at least) another four weeks to the timeline recommended in point #1. For example, if you want to have a complete application by December 31 and want to give yourself the option of retaking it if you do not like your first score, you want to take the GMAT/GRE by early November (approximately 6 to 7 weeks prior to December 31). Important –> The test administrator requires test takers to wait at least 30 days in between each GMAT/GRE attempt.

Be aware of deadlines

Deadlines have a way of sneaking up on you. I recommend taking a look at the deadlines and working backward. If you want to submit your application by December 1, for example, you know that gives you approximately three months or 12 weeks from now until then. You need to be aware of how long each item will take to be completed and submitted to us. Examples include but are not limited to:

GMAT: About two to four weeks will go by from the time you take the GRE or GMAT to the time we get your scores. Accordingly, if you want your scores to be here by December 1, you should plan on taking the GRE or GMAT no later than November 15.

References: How long will your references take to prepare their recommendations for you? Work backwards from December 1 and add an extra couple of weeks or more as “cushion” in case anything unforeseen and unpredicted occurs.

It is OK to submit things “out of order”

You do not need to wait before everything is complete before submitting your application materials. For example, you can submit GRE or GMAT scores before submitting your application. Conversely, you can submit your application before taking the GMAT or GRE. You can submit your application before all your references are received. You can submit your transcripts to us before you submit your application. And so on.

Be very aware of how long things will take to complete/submit when compiling your application materials – and assume it will take longer than you plan

As mentioned earlier, we will not receive your GRE or GMAT scores the day after you sit for the test. Plan for the lag time. Also, your references will need (on average) at least one month to prepare your letters of recommendation.

Bonus –> SPECIAL NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

TOEFL scores can take a long time to arrive at Ohio State. How long? It varies. It can be anything from several weeks to several months. The delay is almost always due to the TOEFL test administrator. If you are an international student and need to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, be sure to keep in close touch with the TOEFL or IELTS test administrator.

We do not pre-evaluate candidates/potential applicants. It’s not uncommon for us to receive the following question (or something like it): “My GMAT/GRE is XXX. My TOEFL is XXX. My GPA is XXX. What are my chances of being admitted?” The only way you can find out whether you will be admitted is to apply. If you wish to review statistics on the most recent class (e.g. GMAT or GRE average, GPA average, etc.), click here. The MHRM admissions committee reviews everything in an application to assess admissibility for each applicant. There is no single item that will cause someone to be admitted or be denied admission – everything is reviewed.

Here are some additional tips:

GMAT/GRE

You may submit either GRE or GMAT scores for your application. It’s your choice. Also, it is very OK for you to submit your application prior to taking the GRE or GMAT. Just be sure you take the applicable test by the end of December 2014 to meet most “early” deadlines.

Transcripts

You will need to upload a scanned copy of an official transcript from each and every university (other than Ohio State) you have attended. Even if you just took a single class at a local community college, we will need to upload a scanned copy of an official transcript from that community college. (The upload button is built into the online application.)

You are NOT required to submit transcripts for any grades you earned at The Ohio State University.

TOEFL

I plan on writing another blog post on issues involving the TOEFL but if you are required to submit the TOEFL as part of a complete application, be sure you use the correct institution code for Ohio State University (1592) and that you allow PLENTY of time for the scores to get to us. The TOEFL is regularly the one item that seems to take forever to get to us – if you need to submit the TOEFL, it is your responsibility to ensure the test administrator (ETS) sends us your official TOEFL scores.

The MHRM program also accepts IELTS from those applicants required to submit a test of English proficiency.

References

Your references can be sent to us electronically or via paper. (Additional instructions are in the application on the difference between the two formats.) Note that we will receive your references sooner if you choose electronic. Just be sure to give your recommenders plenty of time to write your references!

Essays

Give yourself enough time to write essays that really reflect you. Do not write generic, plain vanilla essays. Answer the questions that are posed to you in this application. Do not recycle essay responses you are using for any other applications.

We will be posting additional tips for each of the items referenced above throughout the next few months so keep an eye on this blog for updates.

May 29* – Final deadline
*Complete applications received after this date may be reviewed on space available basis.

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INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

November 14 – Fellowship/priority funding deadline

March 20 – Final deadline

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If you are applying for spring 2015, the deadline to submit your application is October 15. (Application for spring term is open only to domestic part time students. If you are full time and/or international, you must apply for autumn semester.)

Over the next few months, please check back on this blog. I will post information that may help you as you prepare to submit your application. Enjoy the rest of your summer in the meantime!

Interested in learning more about the Fisher MHRM program? Online information sessions have been scheduled through the end of August 2014. You will hear directly from an admission director who will provide you with a quick overview of the program along with some tips on applying. You will also be able to ask any questions you may have.

Webinars are currently scheduled for August 1 (1:00 PM), August 6 (1:00 PM), and August 11 (1:00 PM)- all times listed are Eastern Time Zone.

The Fisher MHRM application for autumn 2015 is now live and available online.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early – your chances of earning admission and merit-based financial aid are best at the beginning of the application cycle, all else being equal. Your application must be complete before the admissions committee will review it – “complete” is defined as we have received everything required for your application to be complete.

May 29* – Final deadline
*Complete applications received after this date may be reviewed on space available basis.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

November 14 – Fellowship/priority funding deadlineThe Fisher MHRM program participates in the University Fellowship and Graduate Enrichment Fellowship competitions.

March 20 – Final deadline

Over the next few months, please check back on this blog – perhaps bookmark it or add it to your RSS feed. I will post information that may help you as you prepare to submit your application. If you have any questions, please leave a comment or contact us (contact information is posted here).